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Concept Debrief – 2011 SAAB PhoeniX was DOA The only thing we really recalled about the final SAAB concept car was its tail. With backlit red lighting through a screen mesh, the PhoeniX reminded us of a nasty reborn Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. Cheap body cladding and all, unfortunately. Reviewing the PhoeniX design today four years later, the look of this sports coupe is no more appealing. Put simply, this car would have flopped like a pancake on the market. Imagine comparing this with a $50k BMW 435i? It is not just the detailing that is overwrought, but all the surfaces and even the proportions. This thing…

Concept to Reality – 2006 Mitsubishi D5 to 5th-Gen Delica When we think of cars from the future, the aesthetic is generally minimalist and slightly brutal with its form language. This can be typical normal shapes like hatchbacks and pickups and mid-size sedans -- but all designed with a lean and crisp look that eschews frivolous bulging and chrome in favor of minimalism. Will this be what cars in the future actually look like? Probably not. Just like we do not dress in spandex StarTrek outfits or one-piece tracksuits in 2015. But those are still the most popular uniform for most hyper-futuristic hollywood movie. Cars that would fit in…

Concept Debrief – 2011 SAAB PhoeniX was Dead on Arrival The only thing we really recalled about the final SAAB concept car was its tail. With backlit red lighting through a screen mesh, the PhoeniX reminded us of a nasty reborn Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. Cheap body cladding and all, unfortunately. Reviewing the PhoeniX design today four years later, the look of this sports coupe is no more appealing. Put simply, this car would have flopped like a pancake on the market. Imagine comparing this with a $50k BMW 435i? It is not just the detailing that is overwrought, but all the surfaces and even the proportions. This thing…

Concept to Reality – 2010 Mazda Shinari to 2013 Mazda6 Now here is a company with some genius ideas, and the brilliance to bring them to a street near you. The Shinari is gorgeous, and the Mazda6 is too. Well done. Concept to Reality - 2010 Mazda Shinari to 2013 Mazda6 2016 Mazda6 2013 Mazda6 2010 Mazda SHINARI Concept

2015 Nissan IDS Concept is Autopilot EV with Sharply Stylish Aero Here is a pretty interesting concept car from Nissan for the Tokyo auto show: the IDS. This rolling showcase shows the latest Nissan vision for a sporty, ultra-efficient battery-electric vehicle of the future. One might think of this as a superLeaf, as well as a look at the tech expected to underpin the redesigned ~2017 Leaf. The major upgrades are everywhere: exterior design is all-new and aggressively sleek in the wind tunnel. The cabin is a future-tech fantasy of touchscreens and AI controls, including a fully autonomous drive mode. Under the actually-pretty-stylish nose and its extreme lower splitter, next-gen…

Concept Flashback – 1989 Mitsubishi HSR II Innovates With Six Active Aero Wings We've been pouring through the Mitsubishi back catalog today for a few Concept Flashback articles. The real all-star of the Mitsu lineup of show cars in the last three decades? It is this - the 1989 HSR II. HSR stands for Highly Sophisticated-transport Research and was a follow-up to a 1987 concept of the same name. The HSR II is far more beautiful, however, and also more innovative. Sure, as a 1989 Japanese exotic, the HSR II is packing a twin-turbo V6 along with 4-wheel-steering and 4-wheel-drive. This goes well with its ABS brakes, independent suspension and electronically-adjustable dampers…